


Celebration of Surak and the Renewal

by Sarek and Amanda Archive Maintainer (Selek)



Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: F/M, Lisa - Freeform, T'Pree
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-21
Updated: 2013-03-21
Packaged: 2017-12-06 00:39:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/729691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Selek/pseuds/Sarek%20and%20Amanda%20Archive%20Maintainer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A journal entry about the celebration of Surak and what it means to a certain Human wife and mother.</p><p>Written by Lisa (Firestar).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Celebration of Surak and the Renewal

Disclaimers: I do not own Star Trek or its universe we are just borrowing it for a moment to amuse ourselves. This piece is intended to honor a great man who has passed over and a great fictional one as well. I hope it manages to do that in a small way. This is also my answer to if Amanda be accepted at such a celebration.

Summary: A journal entry about the Celebration of Surak and what it means to a certain Human wife and mother.

Rating: G

Celebration of Surak and the Renewal.

 

Amanda's Journal star date 2260

I have been on Vulcan for two years now. Today, however, was a very special day. For the first time I think I understand what it is to be truly Vulcan. Today is the 23rd day of Talsiman, the day Surak was killed. It is the one day all of Vulcan stops. Yes something can stop Vulcan. I did not believe it at first myself.

Amanda paused and chewed on her pen, deep in thought.

It is not a holiday in the sense that we would celebrate Christmas or New Year's Day. It is more then taking a moment to reflect on the life of a great Vulcan. It is said that Surak is the Father of Vulcan wisdom and logic. There is no real human equivalent to this Vulcan legend.

On Earth the closest I could compare it to Is Martin Luther King Jr's birthday. We all stop to reflect how that great man helped heal a divided human race in one country. Yes, he became a symbol of wisdom for the world, but Surak was more than even that greatness.

Leaning forward, she paused trying to find the words.

I am almost afraid words are not sufficient to explain Surak. Martin Luther King Jr. stirred emotions of pride, love and respect. He showed us our humanity, the unity of the human soul and spirit as encompassing all the positive emotions humans have. He was about dreams of a better future. He showed us the human soul's potential for good. These things we learned and we can express them emotionally to honor him as man who had a dream and then shared it with us all.

Surak on the other hand demanded the shedding of emotion. He took a war-ravaged, angry people and taught them the brilliance of a still soul. Logic and not emotion was the tool he used to tame the Vulcan beast. Do not misunderstand me in this. I love Vulcan and it has become my home. I can think of no greater place to live and raise my year-old son Spock. His father Sarek has been my rock and my joy. Together they are my world. Yet in all this time I do not think I understood the philosophy of these great people. I never understood how important the stillness is. Today I was allowed to attend the ceremonies celebrating Surak. I had thought it might be a quiet service of reflection and perhaps prayer. It had these elements but it was so very much more. It was a drama and spectacle that, once one witnesses it, changes you forever. I am told this full festival pageant only takes place every seven years. It is the life cycle of Vulcan. The time is representative of the peace of Surak.

Amanda stood up and walked around as she recalled the events she had witnessed.

Perhaps I should explain. When Surak first began teaching his great wisdom, Vulcans were a warring people. There was a bitter divide among the great clans. Surak came from the greatest house, the ones who had the most wealth and power. He saw that the people suffered. He saw the corruption and the way the lands were ruled. He chose to not take more or to force his will on others. Instead of choosing power and glory, Surak chose the people. He began to minister to the poor and the weak. He gathered them into his homelands, fed, and clothed them. On his lands the refugees from the wars found a haven. He did not distinguish between clans. His only rule was peace and service. Surak knew that the greatest of leaders do not take but they give and serve their people. 

 

I do not believe he began by deciding to suppress emotion. I think he intended to teach peace. I honestly believe he hoped to build a place of peace. Yet as the clans came together it became clear that age-old rivalries and hate would destroy this newly founded colony.

Legend states that two rival clansmen began to fight over a piece of meat. Surak came between them and stopped the fight. One youth said, "What would you have us do? Deny our emotions and our need for food?"

Surak replied, "Yes. Use logic."

"There is not enough for us both," the youth exclaimed. "I made the kill. The food is mine."

Surak looked at him and picked up a pot. "If you eat only the meat then there is not enough. Yet you each have tubers and water. Logic dictates that a soup could be made. This soup would feed not only you and him but many others as well."

The youth bowed his head in shame and handed the food over to be made into a soup. Surak had showed them that any problem can be logically solved and that in serving others ones own needs can also be meet more efficiently.

At this point Surak realized that logic and not emotions of panic and fear could be used to aid Vulcan's survival. He would spend many years refining this logic to a form his people could accept and understand.

It is said it took him seven years to write the Kashara and to take its teachings to all of the clans. It created a truce that lasted seven years until greed and hate once more plunged Vulcan into a civil war.

Now what has this to do with the celebration? They re-enact the play of Surak's life and his teachings. It is not done on a simple stage but rather all of Mount Seleya is the backdrop. One walks from scene to scene witnessing differing points on the trail of how logic came to be the cornerstone of Vulcan philosophy. At one point we see two strong Vulcans fighting it out and we see a noble lord bend down and prepare a meal for humble men. We can see how logic began to take root and how it took hate and made peace. We see how meditation was added to the lives of Vulcan to allow them to reflect on troubling issues and find a reasonable solution. It is so hard to describe the beauty and the peace of it. I am so honored to have witnessed this special time. I wish all humans and other beings in the Federation could experience it.

It is said that Vulcans have no emotions. Today I learned why they choose to set them aside. They do so because they do love their culture and their people. I know it sounds like a paradox but it is so pure and good. Today I became a part of it , and I am honored. I am at last accepted as a Vulcan. Sarek told me today IDIC was once more renewed and reaffirmed because I am the first non-Vulcan to witness this sacred ceremony in 5000 years. I just wish I could share it because I know it would have the same affect on others that it did on me. I am accepted and I am at peace. Logically this joy and understanding should be shared. I told Sarek this most forcefully.

Sarek. however, seems to think that it is not yet time because as he says humans need their emotions to relate to the universe. That it is logical that some things even Vulcan must keep for herself. I had to meditate on this thought. It then became clear he was right but not for that reason.

Reflecting that perhaps he is right because I do not think anyone could or should imagine how dangerous Vulcans would be without logic. So from today on I will thank Surak for logic even when it drives me crazy, because I love my civilized mate and son. For had he been born in the time before… I shutter. Perhaps it is well that Vulcan had not yet reached warp drive capabilities. I am certain that a Vulcan without logic would be a conquer that would make Ghengas Kahn look like a boy scout. They would have carved out an empire that would make all the stars shutter in fear. I am certain that even given its beauty and peace now, Surak would agree because the Federation would fear that Vulcan could once more become a warring people if it was known how dark Vulcan once was. Logic twisted to destroy them. Because the Vulcan of the past is still there wild and dangerous contained only by the peaceful meditations and the logical minds of Vulcans.

So, logically for the moment I can only tell my journal of the beauty that I have seen. I would not write it down at all but someday Spock will need to understand this celebration and perhaps it is only logical that he see that even his human mother values Surak's wisdom and celebrates his life. We have chosen to raise Spock as Vulcan and I hope reading this journal he will understand why. My son will learn about my faith in the Creator and how I value it. Yet IDIC to has its place and also, because in my mind there is no greater wisdom than that of Surak for a Vulcan to live by.

Today Surak's life was celebrated and his peace was renewed. Vulcan has once more embraced IDIC.

Amanda set the journal aside and sealed it shut. This one will be for Spock's eyes alone on his eightieth birthday.


End file.
